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Table 3 The prevalence of healthcare professionals’ emotional burden associated with the practice of CDS

From: The impact of the inpatient practice of continuous deep sedation until death on healthcare professionals’ emotional well-being: a systematic review

First Author, Year

Assessment

Burden-related Measurement

N (100%)

Prevalence

Morita T, 2002 [37]

Questionnaire

Physicians’ mean Burnout-scores in case of physical refractory symptoms

697

Mean, SD

   

Emotional exhaustiona in physicians choosing CDS as strong possibility

97

20.8, 11.3

   

Emotional exhaustiona in physicians not choosing CDS as strong possibility

590

17.5, 10.08

   

Depersonalizationb in physicians choosing CDS as strong possibility

97

4.55, 4.63

   

Depersonalizationb in physicians not choosing CDS as strong possibility

590

3.58, 4.04

  

Physicians’ mean Burnout-scores in case of existential suffering

697

Mean, SD

   

Emotional exhaustiona in physicians choosing CDS as strong possibility

102

19.8, 11.6

   

Emotional exhaustiona in physicians not choosing CDS as strong possibility

576

17.6, 10.8

   

Depersonalizationb in physicians choosing CDS as strong possibility

102

4.21, 4.72

   

Depersonalizationb in physicians not choosing CDS as strong possibility

576

3.62, 4.01

Morita T, 2004 [38]

Questionnaire

Nurses’ wish to leave the current work situation due to sedation-related burden

2607

%(N)

   

Always

 

0.7 (18)

   

Often

 

3.7 (97)

   

Occasionally

 

26.0 (666)

 

Questionnaire

Nurses’ intensity of negative feelings related to CDS

2607

%(N)

   

Being involved in sedation is a burden

 

12 (321)

   

Feeling helpless when patient received sedation

 

11 (313)

   

Would avoid performance of sedation if possible

 

11 (277)

   

Feeling that what they had done was of no value when they performed sedation

 

4.1 (106)

 

Questionnaire

Nurses’ overall burden related to CDSc

2607

%(N)

   

Low-level burden

 

85.8 (2238)

   

High-level burden

 

14.2 (369)

Rietjens JAC, 2005 [39]

Semi-structured

Nurses’ negative feelings with the use of CDS

16

n

 

interview

 

Feeling uncomfortable working on the fine line between CDS and euthanasia

 

5

   

Feeling uncomfortable with the use of CDS for non-physical suffering

 

4

  1. Note. M Mean; SD standard deviation; CDS continuous deep sedation until death
  2. aBurden score range 0-54. Higher scores indicate higher levels of emotional exhaustion
  3. bBurden score range 0-30. Higher scores indicate higher levels of depersonalization
  4. cBurden score was calculated as the mean score of the four items of negative feelings about CDS, Cronbach's alpha coefficient, 0.86; range 1-7. High-level burden indicates burden score 4.0 or higher; low-level burden indicates burden score below 4.0
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BMC Palliative Care

ISSN: 1472-684X

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